Sanitary installation

Abstract

 A sanitary installation (100), comprising a bowl (1), a sanitary cover element (2) arranged pivotally to the bowl (1), and a grip element (3, 3a, 3b) arranged in the sanitary cover element (2) and extending at a distance from the outer edge (4) of the sanitary cover element (2). The grip element (3, 3a, 3b) comprises a rim frame (5) arranged parallel or at least essentially parallel with the sanitary cover element (2).

Description

Background

[0001] The invention relates to a sanitary installation, comprising a bowl and a sanitary cover element arranged pivotally to the bowl.

[0002] Sanitary installations, such as WC seats, wall-hung urinals and similar sanitary means may comprise a sanitary cover element, which has to be moved up and down by the user. This necessitates that the user makes a contact with the sanitary cover element. A problem with this is that the contact may be an unhygienic one and thus may lead to a contamination of the user and the environment.

Brief description

[0003] Viewed from a first aspect, there can be provided a sanitary installation, comprising a bowl, a sanitary cover element arranged pivotally to the bowl, and a grip element arranged in the sanitary cover element, said grip element extending at a distance from the outer edge of the sanitary cover element, said grip element comprising a rim frame arranged parallel or at least essentially parallel with the sanitary cover element.

[0004] Thereby a hygienic means for using the sanitary installation may be achieved.

[0005] The sanitary installation is characterised by what is stated in the independent claim. Some other embodiments are characterised by what is stated in the other claims. Inventive embodiments are also disclosed in the specification and drawings of this patent application. The inventive content of the patent application may also be defined in other ways than defined in the following claims. The inventive content may also be formed of several separate inventions, especially if the invention is examined in the light of expressed or implicit sub-tasks or in view of obtained benefits or benefit groups. Some of the definitions contained in the following claims may then be unnecessary in view of the separate inventive ideas. Features of the different embodiments of the invention may, within the scope of the basic inventive idea, be applied to other embodiments.

Brief description of figures

[0006] Some embodiments illustrating the present disclosure are described in more detail in the attached drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of an example sanitary installation,

Figure 2 is a schematic top view of another example sanitary installation,

Figure 3 is a schematic side and top views of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 is a schematic top view of third example sanitary installation,

Figure 5 is a schematic top view of fourth example sanitary installation,

Figures 6a, 6b are schematic top views of alternative details of sanitary installation shown in Figures 4 and 5,

Figure 7 is a schematic top view of fifth example sanitary installation,

Figure 8 is a schematic top view of sixth example sanitary installation,

Figure 9 is a schematic side and top views of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figures 7 and 8,

Figure 10 is a schematic top view of seventh example sanitary installation,

Figure 11 is a schematic side view of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figure 10, and

Figures 12 and 13 are schematic top views of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figure 10.

[0007] In the figures, some embodiments are shown simplified for the sake of clarity. Similar parts are marked with the same reference numbers in the figures.

Detailed description

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic top view of an example sanitary installation, Figure 2 is a schematic top view of another example sanitary installation, and Figure 3 is a schematic side and top views of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figures 1 and 2. The sanitary installation 100 is here a WC seat but, alternatively, it may also be a wall-hung urinal, a douch bowl or rinsing means, a lidded litter basket or a waste box, a laboratory cabinet, a medical or hospital drain, a medical or laboratory sample destruction device etc.

[0009] The sanitary installation 100 comprises a bowl 1, a sanitary cover element 2 arranged pivotally to the bowl 1, and grip elements 3a, 3b arranged in the sanitary cover element 2 and extending at a distance from the outer edge 4 of the sanitary cover element.

[0010] The grip element 3a, 3b may be placed fixed to the sanitary cover element 2, or it may be removably fixed to the sanitary cover element 2. The manufacturing material of the grip element 3a, 3b may comprise e.g. plastic, metal, wood, porcelain etc.

[0011] The grip element 3a, 3b or at least a portion of it may be coated by a coating layer 10. According to an idea, the coating layer 10 is an antibacterial coating, such as a suitable nano-coating.

[0012] According to an idea, the coating layer 10 comprises material for visualizing dirt on the grip element 3a, 3b. The visualization may be based on e.g. light scattering. The materials suitable for such visualization comprise e.g. light sensitive phosphorus, crystalline glazing, glass, or reflective film or coating used e.g. in mirrors.

[0013] An advantage of the dirt visualizing material is that possible dirt becomes visible, thus enabling early decontamination of the grip element.

[0014] The grip element 3a, 3b comprises a rim frame 5 arranged parallel or at least essentially parallel with the sanitary cover element 2. The rim frame 5 shown in Figure 3 has preferably a rounded profile, most preferably a round profile, and is slightly curved or tilted upwards such that the distal end 8 of the rim frame situates higher than the proximal end 9 of said rim frame when the cover element 2 is arranged on the bowl.

[0015] The rim frame 5 is a very advantageous structure in hygienic viewpoint. For instance, the holed structure stops urine run-off to the distal end 8, i.e. to the touch point of the grip element 3a, 3b. The round and tilted profile lead possible run-offs away from the touch point.

[0016] The rim frame 5 may be circular as shown in Figure 3, or more or less elongated as shown in the following Figures.

[0017] The sanitary cover element 2 comprises here a seat panel 6 and a bowl lid 7. The bowl lid 7 is arranged pivotally on the seat panel 6 such that the seat panel 6 and the bowl lid 7 are swivellable in relation to the bowl 1 together or separately from each other.

[0018] The first of the grip elements 3a is arranged in the seat panel 6, whereas the second grip element 3b is arranged in the bowl lid 7. The grip elements 3a, 3b have identical shape here, but this is not necessary at all.

[0019] The grip elements 3a, 3b may be arranged on opposite sides of the bowl 1 as shown in Figure 1, or on the same side as shown in Figure 2, or any other suitable ways. It is to be noted that there may be more than one grip element arranged in the seat panel and/or the bowl lid.

[0020] In another embodiment the sanitary cover element 2 comprises a seat panel 6 only. In still another embodiment the sanitary cover element 2 comprises a bowl lid 7 only. In these embodiments, the sanitary cover element 2 may comprise one or more grip elements 3a, 3b.

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic top view of third example sanitary installation, Figure 5 is a schematic top view of fourth example sanitary installation, and Figures 6a, 6b are schematic top views of alternative details of sanitary installation shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0022] The grip element 3a, 3b comprises rim frame 5 that has an elongated shape, and a handle 11 arranged to extend from the distal end 8 of the rim frame 5. The handle 11 may be an integrated with the rim frame 5 and manufactured from the same material therewith. Alternatively, the handle 11 may be made as a separate part that is attached to the rim frame 5. It is to be noted, however, that it is not compulsory to provide the elongated rim frame 5 with the handle 11, and also that the handle 11 may be arranged to e.g. a ring-shaped frame shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0023] The grip element 3a, 3b may further comprise a hygiene wall 12 arranged between the rim frame 5 and the handle 11. The purpose of the hygiene wall 12 is to prevent urine run-offs to reach the handle 11. The hygiene wall 12 shown in Figure 6a has a concave shape towards the rim frame 5, whereas the hygiene wall 12 shown in Figure 6b has a straight shape. The concave shape may be more preferable in some situations.

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic top view of fifth example sanitary installation, Figure 8 is a schematic top view of sixth example sanitary installation, and Figure 9 is a schematic side and top views of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0025] The grip element 3a, 3b may comprise a foot kick protection element 13 is arranged in the distal end 8 of the handle 11. The foot kick protection element 13 may be an enlargement or extension that may prevent contact of a shoe with the handle 11 in occasional situations where the user handles the sanitary cover element with his/her shoe. Thus the foot kick protection element 13 may prevent the handle 11 to get dirty by the shoe. Also the alignment of the handle 11, i.e. tilting upwards so that the handle 11 rises up from the distal end 8 of the rim frame 5 may protect the handle to get dirty by the shoe.

[0026] Figure 10 is a schematic top view of seventh example sanitary installation, Figure 11 is a schematic side view of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figure 10, and Figures 12 and 13 are schematic top views of a detail of sanitary installation shown in Figure 10.

[0027] The grip element 3 is arranged in the bowl lid 7 by a hinge means 14 such that the grip element 3 has at least two positions in relation to the bowl lid 7 and the seat panel 6. There may also be a back-moving element 15, e.g. a spring, arranged to force the grip element 3 back to its rest-position.

[0028] The grip element 3 comprises further a contact part 16 that is arranged to move with the grip element 3 between said positions. As the grip element 3 is in a first position as shown in Figure 13, the contact part 16 is situated under the seat panel 6. Thus the seat panel 6 moves together with the bowl lid 7 up and down.

[0029] As the grip element 3 is in a second position as shown in Figure 12, the contact part 16 has moved away from the seat panel 6 and the bowl lid 7 can be moved independently of the seat panel 6.

[0030] It is to be noted here, that all variations of the rim frame 5 and the handle 11 discussed earlier in this description may be applied to the grip element 3 provided with the hinge means 14.

[0031] The invention is not limited solely to the embodiments described above, but instead many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive concept defined by the claims below. Within the scope of the inventive concept the attributes of different embodiments and applications can be used in conjunction with or replace the attributes of another embodiment or application.

[0032] The drawings and the related description are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. The invention may vary in detail within the scope of the inventive idea defined in the following claims.

Reference symbols

[0033] 

1

bowl

2

sanitary cover element

3, 3a, 3b

grip element

4

outer edge

5

rim frame

6

seat panel

7

bowl lid

8

distal end

9

proximal end

10

coating layer

11

handle

12

hygiene wall

13

foot kick protection element

14

hinge means

15

back-moving element

16

contact part

100

sanitary installation

Claims

1. A sanitary installation (100), comprising
a bowl (1),
a sanitary cover element (2) arranged pivotally to the bowl (1), and a grip element (3, 3a, 3b) arranged in the sanitary cover element (2) and extending at a distance from the outer edge (4) of the sanitary cover element (2),
said grip element (3, 3a, 3b) comprising
a rim frame (5) arranged parallel or at least essentially parallel with the sanitary cover element (2).

2. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sanitary cover element (2) is a seat panel (6).

3. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sanitary cover element (2) is a bowl lid (7).

4. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sanitary cover element (2) comprises
a seat panel (6) and
a bowl lid (7),
the bowl lid (7) being arranged pivotally to the seat panel (6) such that the seat panel (6) and the bowl lid (7) are swivellable separately from each other.

5. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 4, wherein the grip element (3a) is arranged in the seat panel (6), and
a second grip element (3b) is arranged in the bowl lid (7), the second grip element (3b) comprising a rim frame (5) arranged parallel or at least essentially parallel with the sanitary cover element (2).

6. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second grip element (3b) is arranged on opposite side of the bowl (1) as the grip element (3a).

7. The sanitary installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the rim frame (5) has tilted such that the distal end (8) of the rim frame situates higher than the proximal end (9) of said rim frame when the sanitary cover element (2) is arranged on the bowl (1).

8. The sanitary installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) comprises a handle (11) arranged to extend from the distal end (8) of the rim frame.

9. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 8, wherein the handle (11) is arranged to rise from the distal end (8) of the rim frame.

10. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein a hygiene wall (12) has been arranged between the rim frame (5) and the handle (11).

11. The sanitary installation as claimed in any of the claims 8 to 10, wherein a foot kick protection element (13) is arranged in the distal end of the handle (11).

12. The sanitary installation as claimed in claim 4, wherein the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) is arranged in the bowl lid (7) by a hinge means (14) such that the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) has at least two positions in relation to the bowl lid (7) and the seat panel (6), and wherein
the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) comprises a contact part (16) that is arranged
to move the seat panel (6) together with the bowl lid (7) in a first position of the grip element (3, 3a, 3b), and
to allow the movement of the bowl lid (7) independently of the seat panel (6) in a second position of the grip element (3, 3a, 3b).

13. The sanitary installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) is removably fixed to the sanitary cover element (2).

14. The sanitary installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) comprises a coating layer (10) that comprises preferably antibacterial material.

15. The sanitary installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the grip element (3, 3a, 3b) comprises a coating layer (10) for visualizing dirt on the grip element (3, 3a, 3b), the visualization based on light scattering.

Drawing